Today is Thursday, November 5th, 2009 and it is now 1257PM here in Brooklyn, NY here in the US.
Life proceeds in the same monotnous pace, as days turn into weeks, weeks into months. I suppose I shouldn't complain given the alternative as illustrated by recent day in Bronx County Court.
As fun as that clusterfuck was, it pales next to that experienced by my cousin Shlomo (Solomon Dwek). If that name rings bells it should, it was the center of an international case that was shamelessly sold as "Jews selling body organs and corrupt rabbis involved in money laundering" in NY and NJ here in the US (this pat summer). The case actually spawned at least 1 thread here on BL, in CE &P.
Shlomo was a real estate entrepeneur who stupidly got involved in 50 Million US Bank Fraud in the spring. Unbelievably (for both our Clan and community) he turned State's Witness and entrapped numerous people within our commmunity as well as scores of non-Jewish politicos. Stupidly, politicians played ball despire his bbeing out on bail in a 50 Million Dollar Federal case!
Within our community it did not matter because noone has ever turned against us and my clan (Dwek) is a leading "Syrian" Clan. We, like many West Asian Peoples operate a Parallel Banking System so as to keep our capital within our own community, fully within our reach and control as well as so as to avoid Banking Regs and Tax Regs that stifle our traditional practices. For example, here in the US, if I wire, OR carry 10,001 US Dollars out of the USD I have violated Federal Law.
To avoid these pitfalls, as well as to avoid scrutiny at large, we use a money transfer system based upon chits, code words and Clan Honour.For example, I often move moderate sums (theoretically of course, given that such as admission would be tantamount to a criminal confesion under US Law) in and out of the US. Especially when moving them out, I wish to circumvent those afore mentioned "stifling" regulations.
I can go to 1 of several men within my community, pay the sum I want to move out, plus a very very modest few pecenrage points (as a fee) and be given either a chit (slip of paper with a symbol or word) bor just a word orally. Arriving in my (now) home country of the Philippines, I can go to yey another man from our community living in the Metro-Manila area and pick up my transferred fee. I could also just have my wife or other trusted individual make the pickup for me.
Utilising this system cousin Shlomo managed to ensnare 14 men in our community, who were labeled "Money Launderers" and then had all their assets appropriated by the US Govt. The shame this brought our Clan is indescribable but we almost immediately (and grarefully) paid back the men, or their families as the case may be since most were then under exorbiant bail offers that couldn't be paid without then having that ammount appropriated.
Politicians were ensnared in bribery for favourable deals concerning real estate ventures within those politicians' munipalities.
Finally, a single Jew, an Israeli and NOT from the Syrian Community, erroneously described as a rabbi (since any religiopus Jew is labled "rabbi" by ignorant non-Jews), was arraested for brokering kidney sales between Israeli donors and Jewish recipeints. This was not even connected, in any way,shape or form to my cousin's case BUT was bundled with it in the Gran Jury Roster (Indictment Scheduale) for, apparently, purposes of sensationalism and publicity.
Almost immediately after the case broke, Shlomo's father, my Uncle, Rabbi Israel Dwek, the Chief Rabbi of Deal,NJ cast a curse on his son, which renders him dead to him and to every other Jew.
There is a Talmudic Dictum (Law in rhe Talmud) bcalled, in English, "Law of the 'Moser'." A "Moser" is any Jew who informs on any other Jew, to no-Jews. The penalty is death. Since Shlomo by then was deep in the US Witness Protection Program (sic) it sadly was not possible to LITERALLY do so, he was ostracised and considered dead.
All in all, I guess a bit of peace now will be A-OK!
Life proceeds in the same monotnous pace, as days turn into weeks, weeks into months. I suppose I shouldn't complain given the alternative as illustrated by recent day in Bronx County Court.
As fun as that clusterfuck was, it pales next to that experienced by my cousin Shlomo (Solomon Dwek). If that name rings bells it should, it was the center of an international case that was shamelessly sold as "Jews selling body organs and corrupt rabbis involved in money laundering" in NY and NJ here in the US (this pat summer). The case actually spawned at least 1 thread here on BL, in CE &P.
Shlomo was a real estate entrepeneur who stupidly got involved in 50 Million US Bank Fraud in the spring. Unbelievably (for both our Clan and community) he turned State's Witness and entrapped numerous people within our commmunity as well as scores of non-Jewish politicos. Stupidly, politicians played ball despire his bbeing out on bail in a 50 Million Dollar Federal case!
Within our community it did not matter because noone has ever turned against us and my clan (Dwek) is a leading "Syrian" Clan. We, like many West Asian Peoples operate a Parallel Banking System so as to keep our capital within our own community, fully within our reach and control as well as so as to avoid Banking Regs and Tax Regs that stifle our traditional practices. For example, here in the US, if I wire, OR carry 10,001 US Dollars out of the USD I have violated Federal Law.
To avoid these pitfalls, as well as to avoid scrutiny at large, we use a money transfer system based upon chits, code words and Clan Honour.For example, I often move moderate sums (theoretically of course, given that such as admission would be tantamount to a criminal confesion under US Law) in and out of the US. Especially when moving them out, I wish to circumvent those afore mentioned "stifling" regulations.
I can go to 1 of several men within my community, pay the sum I want to move out, plus a very very modest few pecenrage points (as a fee) and be given either a chit (slip of paper with a symbol or word) bor just a word orally. Arriving in my (now) home country of the Philippines, I can go to yey another man from our community living in the Metro-Manila area and pick up my transferred fee. I could also just have my wife or other trusted individual make the pickup for me.
Utilising this system cousin Shlomo managed to ensnare 14 men in our community, who were labeled "Money Launderers" and then had all their assets appropriated by the US Govt. The shame this brought our Clan is indescribable but we almost immediately (and grarefully) paid back the men, or their families as the case may be since most were then under exorbiant bail offers that couldn't be paid without then having that ammount appropriated.
Politicians were ensnared in bribery for favourable deals concerning real estate ventures within those politicians' munipalities.
Finally, a single Jew, an Israeli and NOT from the Syrian Community, erroneously described as a rabbi (since any religiopus Jew is labled "rabbi" by ignorant non-Jews), was arraested for brokering kidney sales between Israeli donors and Jewish recipeints. This was not even connected, in any way,shape or form to my cousin's case BUT was bundled with it in the Gran Jury Roster (Indictment Scheduale) for, apparently, purposes of sensationalism and publicity.
Almost immediately after the case broke, Shlomo's father, my Uncle, Rabbi Israel Dwek, the Chief Rabbi of Deal,NJ cast a curse on his son, which renders him dead to him and to every other Jew.
There is a Talmudic Dictum (Law in rhe Talmud) bcalled, in English, "Law of the 'Moser'." A "Moser" is any Jew who informs on any other Jew, to no-Jews. The penalty is death. Since Shlomo by then was deep in the US Witness Protection Program (sic) it sadly was not possible to LITERALLY do so, he was ostracised and considered dead.
All in all, I guess a bit of peace now will be A-OK!